


The Pureblood Princess

by allyouneedisstark



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M, Hogwarts Fifth Year, Humor, Slytherin
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-26
Updated: 2020-03-06
Packaged: 2021-02-28 06:41:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,772
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22909558
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/allyouneedisstark/pseuds/allyouneedisstark
Summary: Draco Malfoy, my best friend and the only person in the world who understands my problems. The only person I can confide in, because we both have the same future ahead of us. We are both expected to be recruited into the Dark Lord's army. But unlike Draco, I wasn't excited about this. He had a fascination with all things that have got to do with the Dark Arts, and he was quite enthusiastic about embracing Lord Voldemort. I wasn't as devoted as he was. Being a Death Eater would mean eternal loyalty, and I just wasn't a very loyal person.
Relationships: Draco Malfoy/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 1
Kudos: 7





	1. Prologue

I strode out into the sun, clutching the books to my chest. The sky was a brilliant blue and there was no sign of wind, the perfect weather to study outside. I started making my way to the willow tree on the hill, my usual study spot, but stopped when I saw someone else had decided to sit there.

Draco Malfoy was sprawled out on the grass, leaning against the trunk of the tree. His blond head was bowed over a book. He was alone, which was unusual for him. Usually he had at least two cronies by his side.

I paused for a moment. I had not expected anyone to be in my spot. But I looked quite stupid standing still in the middle of the courtyard, so I started moving my feet again; this time in the direction of the Black Lake.

I set my books down before sitting down myself. I made myself comfortable, loosening my green and silver tie. Opening my Potion book on my lap, I turned the pages until I came to the section on antidotes to poisons. I already knew most of this, being a complete geek for this subject and studying up on it.

After a few minutes I was reading without actually processing the words. I usually didn't mind studying Potions, but the hot sun was beating down on me and I was growing sleepy and bored. I raised my eyes and gazed around the courtyard at what everybody else was doing.

Most of the students outside were people in my year, studying, but a few were just sitting around talking, some playing wizards chess. I suddenly felt lonely and thought about joining my friends again in the common room.

I pushed the thought out of my head; I had to study. At least an hour. But the sun was still beating down on me, and I just wanted to cool down. I glanced up at the spot under the shade I had wanted, to see if Draco wad still there.

He was. He looked more relaxed than ever, poring over the book, his blond hair falling over his eyes. I felt myself staring, not wanting to continue reading. Suddenly, he looked up and our eyes meet. His face was completely neutral. I felt blood rushing up to my cheeks, and looked down again at my book.

A few moments later I looked up again, I don't know why. Draco was still staring at me. Completely embarrassed now, I gathered my books and stood up. As I starting walking back towards the castle, I heard my last name being called out.

"Sidera!" I turned and saw that it was him who had called me. I winced; he probably wanted to know why I was staring at him.

I looked up at him expectantly, waiting for the reason he had called me.

"What to come study with me?" His face finally broke into a smirk, showing some emotion.

I paused, looked back at the castle, and then at Draco. But without even thinking, I started walking towards Draco. I wasn't going to miss this opportunity to get to know him better... I had known him for two years and hardly knew anything about him.

When I reached the top of the hill, I sat down across from him, smiling and opening my book again. "Why did you call me? You looked perfectly happy on your own."

He shrugged. "You looked lonely."

"I was just on my way to the common room to meet my friends," I quickly said, not wanting him to think I was a loser who studied on her own because she had no friends.

"Then why did you join me?"

I grinned. "You looked lonely."

He smirked, and cast his eyes down to his book. We both read in silence for a while, before I saw him look up again at me in my peripheral vision. He waited for a while, and then spoke.

"You're quite good at Potions, aren't you?" Draco asked curiously.

I looked up. "Yeah, pretty good, I guess."

He chuckled. "You're being modest. Yesterday you were the one of the only people in the class Snape didn't have a nasty comment for."

"So were you," I pointed out.

"I know, I'm pretty good myself." He smirked, and I had to laugh at his arrogance. Although is it arrogance if it's the truth? Draco was as skilled, if not more, than me at Potions.

"Why are you asking me this?" I asked him.

"Because pretty soon we have to pick partners for the term," he explained, "and I've been wanting to ask you."

"Me?" I asked, taken aback. Him and I had hardly ever spoken, and never alone, in the last two years we had known each other.

"No one else is on the same standard as me, Professor Snape told me I should ask someone as good as me," he told. "He suggested Granger," he added, pulling a face. It was a well known fact that Draco hated muggles and muggleborns. "So, will you be my partner?"

I shrugged. "Why not?"


	2. Chapter Two

The next morning Pansy shook me awake. I opened my eyes halfway and blinked up at her. "What do you want?"

"I have to leave soon, prefect duties... anyway, I won't be able to wake you up later so you have to get up now."

Unless Pansy woke me up in the morning, I usually didn't wake up at all. For some reason she always wakes up early. This was earlier than she usually woke me up. "Go away," I turned over.

Pansy pulled the covers off me. "Um, why are you still in your robes?"

I looked down and realised I was. Suddenly I remembered why. "I fell asleep in them... I was really tired," I explained.

Pansy rolled her eyes. "It's a good thing I woke you up, then. Come on, June and Blaise are already at breakfast."

"Where's Draco?" I swung my legs over the side of the bed and stretched.

"The two of us have got prefect duty, that's why I'm waking you up now," she said, hurrying around the room, packing books.

Pansy rushed off, and I was left to get dressed into a different set of robes. I left my hair loose; I was too tired to bother with it today. It took me ages to find a tie because June was always nicking mine instead of looking for hers. In the end, I snuck into the boys dormitory and took one of Draco's.

Making my way down to breakfast, I noticed posters stuck everywhere. After I had seen about six of them, I decided to stop and read one.

GALLONS OF GALLEONS!  
Pocket money failing to keep pace with your outgoings?  
Like to earn a little extra GOLD?  
Contact Fred and George Weasley

I didn't bother to read the rest. I walked away, sighing in frustration and making a note to myself to tell Draco about this. He was prefect, he could put a stop to it. Those bloody Weasley twins drove me mad.

I made my way into the Great Hall, and glanced up at the enchanted ceiling. The sky was a miserable grey, which dampened my already-bad mood. I was hoping to get someone to sit me with me the lake today. 

I sat down next to June and started pouring pumpkin juice into a goblet, not bothering to say good morning to anyone.

Blaise smirked at me. "Someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed."

"No, someone woke up too damn early," I snapped, grabbing a piece of toast. "What's our first lesson?"

"Transfiguration," he told me. "And then double potions with the Gryffindorks."

I groaned, feeling like leaving and just climbing back into bed. "Perfect. Just perfect." I started buttering my toast and we chatted about Quidditch tryouts for a while. Blaise had considered trying at first, but them changed his mind. I was still trying to persuade June.

"Come on, please?" I was saying as Draco sat down next to me. Pansy took the seat next to Blaise. "It won't be fun unless you join."

"Join what?" Draco asked, dishing scrambled eggs onto his plate.

"It want her to try out for the Quidditch team," I told him.

With a loud noise, hundreds of owls started swooping into the Great Hall, newspapers in their beaks and letters attached to their ankles. My owl landed right on my plate and ruffled his feathers, spraying water everywhere. It must be raining.

I growled. "If one more thing goes wrong today..." I muttered darkly, untying the letter from my owl's ankle.

It was from my mum and dad, just wishing me luck for my first day. They didn't usually send letters very often, especially not on the very first day. I brushed it off, slipping the letter into my bag and giving my owl a treat.

"What's our first lesson?" Draco asked to no one in particular, scratching his eagle owl on the head.

"Transfiguration," June said, "so we'd better hurry. McGonagall won't like it if we're late."

Draco finished his breakfast quickly and the five of us left the Great Hall, walking over to our Transfiguration class. It was a relatively boring lesson and the time seemed to drag by. To make things worse, Professor McGonagall gave us quite a lot of homework.

"I suppose we'd better expect this much homework every day now," Pansy sighed on our way out. "What with O.W.L.S. this year and everything."

Fifth year was the year we took our Ordinary Wizarding Levels, so we would be getting twice as much work as normal. I had heard horror stories from my brother Andrew, who is now in seventh year, about students who had fainted from stress. There was a perk, though. The year we would be getting breaks in between lessons. In fact, we had one right after first lesson.

"Draco!" I called out to him, as he was walking the other way. I caught up to him and he slowed down. "Do you want to come with me to library for our break? I need to take out a book for the Transfiguration homework."

He nodded. "Yeah, sure. I also need a book."

We set off together to the library.

"So, my brother told me we're getting career advice this year," I informed Draco.

"Isn't it rather early to be thinking about things like that? Besides," he added in a lower tone. "I know exactly what I'm going to do. You do, too."

Draco's father was a Death eater, part of the Dark Lord's followers. My parents were, too. Draco planned to follow in his father's footsteps and also become a Death eater. My parents expected me to do the same. But unlike Draco, I wasn't excited about this. He had a fascination with all things that have got to do with the Dark Arts, and he was quite enthusiastic about renouncing the Dark Lord. I wasn't as devoted as he was. Being a Death eater would mean eternal loyalty, and I just wasn't a very loyal person.

But I already knew I would become part of the Dark Lord's army. Andrew was being recruited next year, Oliver was already adamant on it as well, and I couldn't be the only one left out. I was just too afraid of being ostracized from my family.

"So you're not going to bother with your O.W.L.S.?" I asked him.

"I am," he said. "Mother wants me to complete my education. But I don't see myself coming back for the last year... she doesn't know, of course."

I pondered this for a moment as we walked. Draco was eventually leaving, he was moving onto bigger things. Did I really want to be left behind, complete my O.W.L.S. and my N.E.W.T.S. and then... what? No career was going to save me if the Dark Lord did come into complete power.

"Now is probably not the best time to be talking about this," I muttered softly once we had reached the library. "But I do want to talk about this to you one day."

He nodded. "I'm always here for you, just tell me when you need me."

Draco and I walked into Potions together after leaving the library. I had find the perfect book for the homework, but he hadn't found anything so we decided to share. We took a place at the front and almost instantly Professor Snape walked in.

"Settle down," he said for no reason; the class had already gone quiet the moment he stepped in. "Before the start of today's lesson, I think it's appropriate to remind you that next June you will be sitting an important examination, during which you will prove how much you have learned about the composition and use of magical potions. Moronic though some of this class undoubtedly are, I expect you to scrape an 'Acceptable' in your O.W.L., or suffer my... displeasure." His eyes were stuck on Neville, much to the delight of Draco, who sniggered.

"After this year," he continued, "of course, many of you will cease studying with me. I will only take the very best into my N.E.W.T Potions class, which means that some of us will certainly be saying goodbye." His eyes were now on someone on the other side of the class, undoubtedly Potter. I didn't bother looking.

Professor Snape continued speaking in a soft voice. "But we have another year to go before that happy moment of farewell, so, whether or not you are intending to attempt N.E.W.T., I advise all of you to concentrate your efforts upon maintaining the high pass level I have come to expect from my O.W.L. students."

I very much hoped I would be able to take N.E.W.T Potions next year, it being my favourite subject. I probably could, too, as I was very good at it as well.

Professor Snape told us the potion we had to brew by the end of the lesson: the Draught of Peace. This was not going to be easy. Thank Merlin we had an hour and a half.

Draco turned to me with a pleading look. "Please tell me you will help me?"

I laughed at his expression, and nodded. "You know I will. First, go fetch the ingredients while I set the cauldrons temperature and get everything ready." I gave him the list of ingredients to fetch from the storage cupboard.

As he was doing that, I set the flames under the cauldron and started studying the instructions, making notes to myself when to turn the heat down and when you stir so that I would not forget.

When Draco came back with the ingredients, we started brewing our separate potions and soon enough they were both starting to look misty and silver.

"A light silver vapour should now be rising from your potion," Professor Snape called out.

"Ten minutes left," Draco muttered from my side.

"Don't worry," I murmured back.

We continued, we were both now on the stirring part.

"Potter, was is this supposed to be?"

Most of the Slytherins turned around, including Draco, who was apparently not worried about the time limit any more.

"The Draught of Peace," Harry answered our Potions teacher.

"Tell me, Potter," Snape was speaking in a soft, scary voice, "can you read?"

Draco laughed loudly, and I smirked.

"Yes, I can," Harry said, his voice tense.

"Read the third line of the instructions to me, Potter."

Harry's eyes were filled with hatred as they looked away from Snape to the blackboard. He squinted, and said, "Add powdered moonstone, stir three times counter-clockwise, allow to simmer for seven minutes then add two drops of syrup of hellebore."

This was started to bore me, so I turned back to my Potion. It was just about ready; all I had to do now was add the final ingredient. I saw that Draco's potion needed stirring quickly, so I did just that. He glanced down to see what I was doing, smiled in appreciation, and turned his attention back to Snape and Potter.

"Those of you who have managed to read the instructions, fill one flagon with a sample of your potion, label it clearly with your name and bring it up to my desk for testing," said Snape.

As he was telling us what we had to do for homework, Draco added his final ingredient while I filled a flagon with the silver liquid. I labeled it 'Amy Sidera' and carried it to the front, handing it to Snape.


	3. Chapter Three

After a long first day, I collapsed onto the largest couch in the common room, lying down and taking up all the room.

I had only closed my eyes for three seconds when someone pushed my legs.

"Make space," Draco said, looking just as tired as me.

I lifted my legs and he sat down. I was about to sit up, but had a change of heart and lay my legs across him instead. "This day has dragged forever."

"It has been quite a rough day," he rubbed one eye, and then turned to smirk at me. "But I have something that'll make you feel better."

"Is it firewhiskey? Please tell me it's firewhiskey," I said hopefully.

He chuckled and shook his head. "Some of the Slytherins have decided go have a bit of fun to relax."

I gave him an intriguing look. "A bit of fun? Are you saying what I think I'm saying?"

"If you're thinking dare night, you are correct."

"Awesome," I grinned at the ceiling. "It's been too long."

Dare night was something we had been doing since third year. Certain Slytherins would stay up until midnight or so, and we would stay in the common room and play truth or dare. Snape has never found out, or if he has, he's never bothered to stop us.

Draco helped me complete our Transfiguration homework and we waited for all the students in the common room to go to bed. Once there were only fifth years, we all gathered in front of the fire place and began.

Blaise had his turn first. After slipping off to his dormitory and coming back with a tiny bottle, he joined us on the floor. "Okay, are you guys ready?"

We all nodded. It was me, Pansy, June, Draco, Blaise, Theodore, Daphne and Oliver.

Blaise gazed at the seven of us, deciding who to pick on. Finally, his eyes landed on me. "Amy. Truth or dare?"

"I knew you'd pick me," I mumbled under my breath, and sighed. "Truth."

"Truth? Okay, drink up, then," he tossed me the bottle he had been twirling. It was a small vial of clear liquid, and it had a faded label with a word I could barely make out. I squinted in the dark.

"Veritaserum?" My eyes snapped to his.

"Isn't that illegal unless the Ministry-" Daphne started saying, but most people gave her looks and she shut up.

"Where did you get that, anyway?" Oliver asked Blaise.

"Stole it from Snape," he replied casually. "Come on, drink up."

"But- but-" I spluttered. If I drank this, they could ask anything and I would have to tell the truth. What if they asked something personal?

"You know the rules, Amy," Draco smirked. "Would you rather pick dare?"

I frowned. I knew Blaise too well, if I picked dare he would say something ridiculous like jump into the Black Lake. Naked. And touch the giant squid.

And I wasn't taking that chance. I sighed, and tilted my head back, drinking the truth telling serum. "Happy now?" I pulled a face; the taste was awful. "Remember, only one question."

"One is enough," Blaise smirked. "Me or Draco?"

"What?" I blinked.

"That's my question, me or Draco?" He repeated.

"You'll have to be more specific," I said nonchalantly, but I could feel my face heating up. I knew exactly what he meant.

"Who do you fancy more, me or Draco?" Blaise rolled his eyes, getting impatient.

I glanced at Draco, who was looking back at me with interest. There was a dark shadow across his face but I could still see the curiosity in his eyes.

"Amy, who would you rather snog?" Pansy was also getting impatient.

"Draco." The answer came out as soon as she asked the question, I couldn't stop it. I clamped a hand over my mouth, but it was too late. They had all heard.

Pansy squealed, and Draco quickly shushed her. "Do you want to wake the whole house?" He snapped.

Meanwhile, Blaise was staring at me with a dumbstruck look. "Draco? You fancy Draco?"

Oliver pulled a face, which was weird considering him and Draco were on excellent terms.

"I didn't say I fancy him," I say quickly, "I just said I fancy him more."

"Did you pretend to drink the serum?" Blaise narrowed his eyes. This guy was so conceited he couldn't comprehend the fact that someone was better than him.

"She drank it, Blaise," Draco held up an empty vial, looking very smug. "Can't handle the fact she likes me more?"

"Shut it," he snapped. He turned back to me, still looking grumpy. "Amy, it's your turn."

"Okay," I turned to the smirking blonde, "Draco, truth or dare?"

"Can you believe it?" Blaise said to Pansy. "She picked him again!"

I rolled my eyes. "Blaise, come off it. You're both really good friends."

"You still prefer him," he scowled.

"Dare," Draco said loudly, drawing our attention back to him.

"Okay, dare..." I thought for a minute. "What can I dare you to do?"

Pansy smiled mischievously, leaning over and whispering in my ear, "ask him to steal food from the kitchen, he's dead scared of Filch!"

"What are you saying?" Draco asked, his eyes flitting between us.

"Hey, Draco..." I smirked. "I'm feeling kind of hungry. Why don't you go find some food for us?"

Confusion crossed Draco's features. "That's my dare? Find food?"

"No, you have to steal food from the kitchen," I cleared up for him.

"In the middle of the night?"

"What's the matter, afraid of the dark?" Blaise taunted him.

"No, you idiot," he snapped, "I'm afraid of Filch or Snape finding me out of bed." He turned back to me. "Can't you think of something that won't get me into trouble?"

"Where's the fun in that?" I asked, still smirking.

"But I thought you get lonely when I'm in detention," his eyes narrowed, "why would you want to send me there?"

June snorted. "Aw, you get lonely without him?"

I shot her a harsh look, and turned back to Draco. "Simple. Don't get caught, then you won't go to detention."

"Harder than you think," Draco sneered. "Filch is practically everywhere."

"Fine, what if I come with you?" I offered. It could be fun, wandering around the castle with Draco at midnight. "I can keep a lookout for Filch, and he does find us I can take the blame."

Draco thought about this. "Yeah, okay," he said slowly. "If you look out for Filch, it's a deal."

"And be quick," Theo said. "Now that you mentioned food, I'm hungry as well."

"Then we'd better get going," I hopped to my feet, grinning in excitement. Draco stood up as well, and we walked together to the entrance.

"Are you ready?" I whispered to him once we were out of the common room.

He nodded, and walked together in complete darkness. The torches lining the dungeon walls weren't lit like they were during the day.

"Lumos!" Draco whispered, and suddenly there was a blue light surrounding us. I followed suit, pulling out my wand and whispering the charm.

"You couldn't have just dared me to kiss Blaise or something..." Draco mumbled from next to her.

I turned and shone her wand in his face. "Would you have?" I smirked, amused.

"No, of course bloody not," he snapped. "It would have been simpler, though..."

"Are you not having fun?" I asked sarcastically as we made their way up the staircase.

"Shut up. Knowing you, you're probably having the time of your life," he chuckled.

By now they had reached the top of the stairs. "As a matter of fact, I am. It's the adrenaline."

"So you're not in the slightest bit afraid?" He asked and I shrugged. "I'm really not," I smiled smugly, "and you know I'm being honest." "You're so weird. Why aren't you in Gryffindor?"

I pushed him hard, and he almost fell over. When he regained his composure, he chuckled. "Kidding, kidding. We all know you belong in Slytherin. You're practically our leader, next to me, of course."

"Leader? Please," I scoffed. "I'm like royalty. I'm the Slytherin Princess," I said, with exaggerated arrogance.

"That's odd, because they call me the Slytherin Prince," Draco said. I couldn't see his face, but I knew he was smirking.

I laughed quietly, and then it was quiet for a while. We made our way through the corridor, and took a right.

"So..." Draco broke the silence. "You want to snog me?"

I pushed him again, laughing slightly. When I shone my wand in his face, I saw he was smiling. Genuinely smiling.

"You're smiling!" I said, a bit too loud.

"Shh!" He glanced behind us. "Why do you sound so surprised?"

"I've never really seen you smile before," I told him, my voice much lower.

"Sure you have."

"No, I've only seen you smirk."

"Do you even know where the kitchen is?" He asked.

Okay, so he obviously wanted to change the subject. Fine. "No. Do you?"

"Yeah, Marcus told me you're supposed to stroke a painting or something."

"Where's the painting?"

"Follow me," he said, leading the way.

We turned right and then went up another staircase. I could hear Draco muttering directions to himself. Soon we were on a corridor with paintings on each side, and I knew we were close to the kitchen because Draco was striding more confidently now, paying closer attention.

Suddenly he stopped, so I did too. "Did you find the painting?" I asked him, moving my eyes away from an interesting picture on the wall.

But he didn't answer me; and I soon found out why. When I lifted my gaze, I noticed that there was a student standing a few meters in front of us, standing dead still.

I recognized her as a Hufflepuff, but didn't know her name. She was holding a fluffy white cat tucked in her arm and her wand in her hand, which also had a blue light shining out of it.

We stood like that for what felt like minutes, before the Hufflepuff spoke first.

"What are you doing here?" She asked, but not in a demanding tone. She actually looked a little afraid of us.

"Trying to find the kitchen," the words left my mouth before I could stop them, and Draco stepped deliberately on my toes. The veritaserum obviously hadn't worn off.

"Are you... are you going to tell on me?" She asked tentatively.

"Not if you don't tell on us," Draco replied in a beat.

"I won't," she said. "Fluffy ran out the common room," the Hufflepuff hurriedly added, gesturing to the white ball of fur in her arms. "I was just trying to catch her."

"Fluffy?" Draco snorted, and I elbowed him in his side. "Ouch!"

It was silent for a few long seconds, nobody daring to speak. Then the Hufflepuff pointed to a painting to her right. "If you want to find the kitchen, you have to tickle the pear. We sneak in all the time."

"Uh, thanks," Draco said, still wary of her.

The cat in her left arm started struggling and meowing, so she smiled at us briefly and said, "I'd better go before Filch finds us. Goodnight."

"Yeah, 'night," I said, letting Draco drag me by my elbow. When I turned my attention to him, I saw he was poking the pear in the painting. I sighed. "Move, you're doing it wrong."

He rolled his eyes and moved aside for me, and I began tickling the pear. There was a high pitched giggling noise, and Draco cautiously glanced around for teachers or Filch. When the noise emitting from the painting stopped, it swung open.


	4. Chapter One

I was about to start my fifth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. I had been looking forward to it all summer, as my holiday mostly consisted of wandering around the Manor by myself. I would finally be able to see my friends again, and I missed them more than ever.

"Okay, board the train straight away," my older brother Andrew said once we had reached Kingscross Station. "Do not hang around and wait for your friends this time," he gave a pointed look, and I gave him a wide-eyed, innocent one in return.

"Yes, you already went over this the whole way here," Oliver, my twin, rolled his eyes.

Like me, Oliver had dark hair and brown eyes. We didn't really look alike though and no one ever guessed that we were twins.

"Oh, there's June!" I said, spotting my best friend waving frantically at me. I turned to my brothers to say goodbye. "Oliver, I'll see you at the feast. Andrew, I'll see you when I see you!" Oliver was in the Slytherin house with me, so I saw him all the time. Andrew was in Ravenclaw, though.

Pushing my luggage carrier in front of me, I made my way towards June. When I was only a couple feet away I heard my name being called out.

"Amy!" Before I could even turn, I was almost knocked to the ground by a brunette.

"Hi, Pansy," I said to my other best friend once she let me go. "How was your summer?"

"That's not important," she said quickly, a huge smile spreading across her face as she pointed to a badge on her robes. "Look! I'm a prefect now!"

As she rambled on about the letter she received telling her they made her prefect, we moved towards June and we all exchanged hugs and greetings. We boarded the train together and looked for our compartment. We had one that was unofficially reserved as ours, and we sat in it every year.

When we reached it, Blaise Zabini and Draco Malfoy were already seated there. They stood up when arrived and we greeted each other. Even though Draco hated hugs, I dropped my luggage and threw my arms around him, mostly to annoy him.

With a reluctant sigh, he returned the embrace. "I missed you," he said into my ear.

"Missed you too," I released him and grinned. And then I noticed the shiny badge pinned to his uniform. I gasped. "Whose prefect badge did you steal?"

He glanced down at his badge with confusion and then looked back up at me. "I didn't steal it, it's mine. They made me prefect."

"That's amazing," I hugged him again, "well done!"

Draco let out a disgruntled noise. "Can we stop with the hugging?"

I laughed, letting go and sitting down in between June and Pansy. "How was your summer?"

"Boring, you should have accepted my invitation to stay in the Manor," he said. And then he spotted my cat. "What is that?"

"It's a cat," I said, giving him an odd look. I picked up the cage and let Pumpkin out, putting the cage back up with the rest of my luggage.

"Aw, he's so cute!" June cooed over my fat ginger cat.

"What happened to your owl?" Draco was still giving my cat a wary look.

"Nothing, I still have him. I just decided to get a cat this year," I told him. "Do you not like cats?"

He shrugged. "I'm more of a dog person."

"But look how cute he is!" June was now cuddling Pumpkin, who was adoring the attention, purring loudly. "How can you not love him?"

"Her," I corrected.

Suddenly, their compartment door was been slid open. A dark haired girl stuck her head through. She had a blue and silver tie around her neck; a Ravenclaw. "Any prefects in here?"

"I'm a prefect," Draco said smugly.

"Me, too!" Pansy added.

The girl looked at them. "All prefects are meeting in a separate compartment. Can you follow me?"

They stood up. "See you guys later," Draco said, him and Pansy following the Ravenclaw out.

We didn't see tthem again until hours later, when we left the train and set off towards the carriages. He had been joined by two other Slytherin boys, Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle.

Before we reached him he was bossing get around a petrified first year, and being absolutely horrid. When I caught up with him, the first year ran off and hit Draco on the back of the head.

"Ow, what the bloody hell was that for?" He asked, rubbing his head.

"It's their first year, do you think you could be a little more welcome?" I frowned at him.

He rolled his eyes. "I'm not promising anything."

As we stood waiting for an empty carriage, we spotted Neville Longbottom carrying a giant weird looking cactus. Malfoy sniggered and took a step forward in his direction, and I grabbed his robe and pulled him back. I didn't want him to lose his badge on the first day.

Draco rolled his eyes at me. But then he smirked and got that malicious look in his eye again. "Guess who they made Gryffindor prefect?"

"Harry Potter?" Pansy huffed.

"No," he shook his head and laughed. "Weasley! Can you believe it?"

Actually, I couldn't. I knew Ron's grades weren't at all good, and he was constantly getting into trouble with Harry Potter and Hermione Granger.

Draco soon got tired of waiting for an empty carriage and just chased a few second years out of one. I gave him a dirty look but didn't bother stopping him because I was also tired of waiting.

When we reached Hogwarts, the four houses filed into the Great Hall. We took our seats and waited; this was something much looked forward to by most people. The Sorting. Professor McGonagall came forward and placed the dusty old Sorting Hat on a stool, and lifted her parchment to read off of.

After each student had been sorted into their house, Dumbledore stood up and everyone went silent. He opened his arms and said loudly, "To our newcomers; welcome! To our old hands; welcome back! There is a time for speech-making, but this is not. Tuck in!"

And like every year, the food appeared in front of them. Every type of food you can imagine. I was starving from the long train ride, and then the long carriage ride, so I loaded my plate with food.

We chatted as we ate, wondering who our new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher was going to be, before the subject changed to Draco and I trying out for Quidditch team. Draco would definitely get on, but I wasn't so sure about myself.

Once we had finished eating, the plates were spotless. I looked up at Dumbledore, who was wiping his mouth with a napkin - a sign he was about to speak. I shushed the others and we all paid attention ad he stood up.

He smiled down at everybody. "Well, now that we are digesting another magnificent feast, I beg a few moments of your attention for the usual start-of-term notices. First years ought to know that the forest in the grounds is out of bounds to students - and a few of our older students ought to know by now too."

Draco sniggered next to me. He, too, knew that this message was aimed at his rivals; Harry, Ron and Hermione.

This is where I stopped paying attention. I knew all the things he was about to say: warnings from Mr Filch, the miserable caretaker, and other things unimportant to me.

Instead I gazed around the hall, looking at all of the terrified first years. When I looked up at the staff table, however, my eyes were instantly drawn to a bright pink. The pink was worn by a pudgy woman with a hideous face. She sort of resembled a toad.

I nudged Draco. When he leaned in, I whispered, "Who's that?" I pointed to the toad in pink.

"That's Dolores Umbridge," Blaise answered instead of Draco. "She works for the Ministry."

"How do you know this?" Pansy asked him curiously.

"I read the newspaper," he rolled his eyes grumpily.

When there was suddenly applause, I turned my attention back to Dumbledore, but I had missed what he had said. He was now saying something about Quidditch tryouts. He stopped speaking, however, when he was interrupted by the toad in pink. She had stood up - although you could hardly tell because of her short, squat frame - and cleared her throat. "Hem, hem." She had a very scratchy, yet girly voice.

She started off by smiling and talking to us in a patronizing voice, with a sugary sweet tone. It was very bloody annoying. Everyone was gaping at her because she had interrupted the headmaster; nobody ever dared to interrupt the headmaster. Dumbledore didn't look as though he minded, he just watched her with a look of amusement.

Her voice changed halfway through, and she was speaking in a more businesslike tone, which was even more boring to listen to. I was feeling so sleepy... All I wanted to do was crawl into bed.

Blaise was right about her being from the Ministry. She started speaking about the Ministry of Magic and how education was very important to them, boring the hell out of me and apparently Draco too, who was staring up at the ceiling bewitched to look like the night sky.

Nobody was paying attention to her speech. The respect was obviously reserved for Dumbledore only, because the Great Hall wasn't quiet like it was when he was speaking. I turned to Draco. "When is she going to stop?"

Draco sighed, holding his head up with one hand. "Classes with her are going to be a nightmare."

"Classes with her? What are you talking about?"

He gave me an amused look. "Did you not hear Dumbledore telling us she was our new Professor?"

"She's going to teach us Defense Against the Dark?" I asked with disbelief.

Blaise shook his head with a chuckle. "Amy, you never listen."

I raise an eyebrow at him. "Well, she's still blabbing on, but I don't see you listening."

"I don't need to listen, I've already heard what I need to hear," he said.

"Do you mind telling us?" June, who had also not been listening, asked.

"Basically, she's saying she's been sent by the Ministry to make changes to the school," he explained. "To take notes on the education system and fix whatever must be fixed."

"Thank god there's a smart one among us," I joked, and the other three looked at me, offended.

"All I can say is that I'm glad," Draco said. "Its about time some changes are being made."

Draco had never really liked many things about this school, but mostly because he father didn't agree with them. He would have been sent to Durmstrang if it wasn't for his mother saying she didn't want him so far away.

Finally, Umbridge finished her speech and we were all sent to bed. June and I hung back, waiting for Pansy.

"You'll have to go on without me," she told us. "Draco and I have to lead the first years to the common room."

We nodded and started walking back to the Slytherin common room on our own, lulling behind the others. When we reached the entrance, there was a group of Slytherins standing outside, all of them looking disgruntled.

I walked up to Oliver, who was standing with Theodore Nott.

"Nobody knows the password," he told me. "Daphne was told, but she forgot."

"So what are we supposed to do?" June huffed.

Just then Daphne came rushing into the dungeon. "I got it! It's pedes in terra!"

The huge portrait of Merlin swung open. The Slytherins cheered, and strode into the common room. I walked down the corridor and into my dormitory instantly, exhausted. I fell into my bed, still wearing my robes, and fell into a deep sleep.


End file.
